U.S. Coast Guard’s Operation Pacific Viper Hits Milestone of 225,000 Pounds of Cocaine Seized

The total amount of cocaine seized through Operation Pacific Viper is equivalent to more than 93 million deadly doses

WASHINGTON - The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that the U.S. Coast Guard's Operation Pacific Viper has surpassed more than 225,000 pounds of cocaine seized in the Eastern Pacific Ocean since the operation first began in August of 2025.

The milestone was reached after a recent interdiction of 7,707 pounds of cocaine by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Bear. While on patrol in the Eastern Pacific this past weekend, USCGC Bear and an embarked helicopter crew detected and disabled two drug smuggling vessels, ultimately leading to a significant drug seizure and the apprehension of six suspected narco-terrorists. This operation underscores the Coast Guard's ongoing commitment to disrupting and dismantling foreign drug trafficking networks and cartels in Latin America.

"Operation Pacific Viper stands as a decisive force against narco-terrorists, sending an unmistakable message that we will not allow them to profit off the poisoning of our people," said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. "The U.S. Coast Guard has prevented more than 225,000 pounds of cocaine from reaching American communities since our operation began. Under President Trump, we are dismantling drug cartels and saving American lives."

"We own the sea," said Admiral Kevin Lunday, Commandant of the Coast Guard. "Our forces conducting Operation Pacific Viper continue to defeat the cartels and stop the flow of deadly drugs to the United States."

With 1.2 grams of cocaine being a potentially deadly dose, the total amount seized through Operation Pacific Viper equates to more than 93 million potentially deadly doses kept off of American streets. Eighty percent of all seizures of U.S.-bound narcotics occur at sea, underscoring the impact of Coast Guard maritime interdiction efforts.

Since its inception, Operation Pacific Viper has accelerated counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific, a primary corridor for narcotics smuggling from Central and South America. The Coast Guard has surged cutters, aircraft, and tactical teams to interdict, seize, and disrupt the flow of cocaine and other illicit drugs. These efforts are a critical component of the broader American strategy to combat narco-terrorism and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. The Coast Guard's interdiction of 225,000 pounds of cocaine through Operation Pacific Viper highlights the effectiveness of aggressive, sustained counter-narcotics operations along maritime smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific.

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